An Executive Producer says the Walkers become more threatening in Season 4 of AMC's The Walking Dead. Spoilers within for our international readers that aren't quite caught up on Season 3.

I don't read Robert Kirkman's individual issues of The Walking Dead but I am a faithful reader of the TPB. It's with a pretty thorough knowledge of the source material that I can say that where Season 3 ended on the television adaptation, at the equivalent point in the comic book, the greatest threat to Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the rest of his crew are other people not zombies. Moving forward, the threat order remains the same with people on top as subsequent issues reveal that there are more dastardly individuals besides The Governor roaming the skeletal remains of civilization. Sure, Walkers still score the occasional kill but at this point, the threats they pose are well known as are the methods to counteract them which has almost becomes second nature to those still surviving. With that in mind, it's interesting to hear from Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd that the Walkers become 'more threatening' in Season 4. What immediately springs to my mind is more 'herds', something we've seen previously on the show but not prominently in recent episodes. That's just speculation on my part however, as the showrunners have proven they're not afraid to mix things up and chart their own course.

On the decision to keep The Governor alive at the end of Season 3 and whether that decision was made due to David Morrissey's strong performance or simply because of a need to have a strong antagonist for Rick?

Gale Anne Hurd: "The Walking Dead will never do what’s expected of us. You always expect that the big bad will be killed in the finale. It’s really unlikely we’re going to do that. I think that there’s more to be done with not only the character, but with the conflict that we get to see, the difference in leadership between the Governor and Rick."

At the end of the season, we saw a bus load of people from Woodbury join up with Rick's group at the prison. Did everyone leave the town or are there still people in Woodbury?

Hurd: "I couldn’t tell you that, to be honest. I think that’s a decision we’ll come to find out in the new season."

This season was more about the 'human threat.' Will we see the threat of the walkers return more strongly in Season 4?

Hurd: "Yeah, I don’t think that in a show that goes from season to season -- we are living in a zombie apocalypse, we’re living in an apocalypse where we know that unless someone has brain trauma, they’re going to come back. Regardless of how they die, they’re going to turn into a zombie. So I think it would be a good bet to say that the zombies become more threatening in seasons to come."

There's much more in the interview with Gale at IGN so click the source link below to read the full transcript. The conversation ranges from discussion of zombies being in the zeitgeist at the moment in television, film and literature to the relationship between Rick and Carl moving forward. What direction would you like the show to take in Season 4? More Walker action or continue to introduce more human villains like The Governor?

The Walking Dead, the most watched drama in basic cable history, returned for an exhilarating third season on Sun., Oct. 14, 2012 at 9/8c. In this uncertain world, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his band of survivors must not only fight the dead, but also face a whole new fear: the living. A 16 episode season, the series Entertainment Weekly called the "greatest thriller ever produced for television' will air in two parts, with the first eight hours kicking off October 14 and returning February 2013 with the final eight episodes.

In the highly anticipated new season, Rick and his fellow survivors continue to seek refuge in a desolate and post-apocalyptic world and soon discover that there are greater forces to fear than just the walking dead. The struggle to survive has never been so perilous. Season 3 also introduces new characters, including the Governor (David Morrissey) and fan-favorite Michonne (Danai Gurira), along with her zombie pets.

Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, The Walking Dead stars Lincoln, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Steven Yeun, Norman Reedus, Chandler Riggs, Lauren Cohan, Scott Wilson, IronE Singleton, Melissa McBride, Morrissey and Gurira. The series is executive produced by showruner Glen Mazzara, Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert with Greg Nicotero, Denise Huth and Evan Reilly as co-executive producers.

The Walking Dead reigns as the most watched drama series on basic cable for Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54. The series has garnered two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Prosthetic Make-up, a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Television Series - Drama, and a WGA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Writing Derivative New Media, among other accolades.

Too much drama? Its a television show for christ sakes. See what happens when enough mindless idiots beg for less drama and more action, they change the show formula. I swear if this show turns into abullshit shootemup, you'll have no one to blame but yourselves

Yeah, the books really do become about the people and less about the walkers. They don't even look for answers anymore they just try to survive. That said, the show has yet to match the excitement of Season One where every episode was a pulse pounder.

I dont know if this happens in the comics, since i didnt read them, (dont kill me!) but it would be cool if some zombies stated to evolve or something to be more of a threat, since they are so easy right now

Wow, what's with all the anger? The show is awesome, and for me second only to Dexter. In the comics they stayed in the prison for a while and only left after be forced out by the Governor and his people. They aren't following the comics storyline, and clearly have different ideas of where to go, and also have potential stories for twisted [frick]s that came in on the bus. Saying they did it to save money is an ignorant statement, and completely untrue. The show is one of, if not the top rated show on TV, and if they wanted it, money would be thrown at them to build new sets, so calm down man.

Stingray: Ummmmmmm, have you even read the comics? From your comment, I would guess not.

Anyone saying that they need to make the walkers more of a threat, and that arent happy that it's more about the people and how they survive, interact, and deal with the world the way it is ow, should really read an issue of this comic book. Yes they are deviating from the comics storylines, but at its core, it's still about the same thing the comics are about.

I don't know for sure, but I don't think they'll bring in those guys, especially Negan yet. Idk what season 4 will have in it, but I'm sure the Governor will be back with a group of like minded hard ass survivors. The Governor will be no mans bitch.

So the show deviates immensely from the comic, delivers a finale that completely negates everything in the last 7 episodes, and destroys character in doing it, and I'm being disagreed with by Sagemode.

In what way did the season finale negate the last 7 episodes? If anything it helped show even more how dangerous and evil the Governor truly is. And I can assure you he'll be back with more hard ass like minded people to cause even more trouble. Also, you can not do a background check in that world, so they could have let in acouple bad people who were laying low while in Woodbury. Btw, ofcourse they aren't going to follow the comic book by heart, that would be far to predictable, so get over it. I'm sure losing you as a viewer won't phase them at all.

Earzmundo: In the comics Carl gets more hardened as things go on, and that's what's happening in the show.

Facade: I don't think them not having ammo would help the show at all. It's very easy to explain how they could stay stocked up on ammo. Finding ammo is one way. Also getting brace, gun powder and a reloading kit is another way.

And is a conflict now going to be getting diapers for all the old people at the prison? There was an ongoing conversation about having low resources! The powerful moment of Rick abandoning that backpack guy in the episode of Morgan makes no sense now!!!

Why did None of the dozens around the gov. Shoot him when he's shooting them?

How did the prisoners know the gov. Was coming that exact moment? So they should be on the outskirts?

Where the [frick] was Rick and some others in the prison while gov. Was searching?

Why was Andrea looking at Milton when she has no time?

Why Would the gov. Run away like a little baby when only 2 people are shooting at him?

I think the people who didn't care for finale are the type of people who always expect a cliffhanger where big questions are left, and some life shattering event happened. I liked the finale, and didn't thing it ruined anything. The Governor was shown to be completely heartless and ruthless, and the group found out he's even worse than they thought via finding the people he murdered in cold blood. I knew they weren't going to kill him off this season, and theyve even said that conflict will last more than one season. Now the group has to worry about him coming back, while integrating the new people into the group. I'm thinking there will be serious conflict with the new people brought in.

^^Exactly, and that makes sense. The zombies that move quickly(not run) are the freshly turned ones. The longer they are dead, it only makes sense that the ones that have been turned longer would break down and move slower. I enjoy the tip of the hat to Romero's amazing movies with the whole when you die you turn.

Yeah, the books really do become about the people and less about the walkers. They don't even look for answers anymore they just try to survive. That said, the show has yet to match the excitement of Season One where every episode was a pulse pounder."

Which is ironic, as a surprising amount of people (many of which I noticed were die hard comic readers) complained about the pacing and the "overwriting" of the human drama beyond what was already present in the source material (to the point where AMC apparently took it into consideration).

I personally loved Season 1, and frankly find some of the behind the scenes logic at AMC in regard to how they handle their successful shows baffling.

it's natural for this series to have drama it's a soap opera not an rpg game for pete's sake. however it's a good thing that the walkers will be back on the top threat lists after all it's about a zombie apocalypse.with that i'm looking forward to the next season for more twists and surprises along the way.

I think the genius of the TV show is the dynamic between Rick and the Governor. As Rick learns to regain his "humanity" the Governor loses his. These are two people that started of with the same intention to survive and protect their families it is brilliant to watch how their choices shape who they are. Driving past the hitchhiker was a brilliant statement of where Rick was at the time and by returning with the survivors it was a conclusion to Ricks journey. Sometime a series doesn't need a big bombastic finale that was the brilliance of this seasons it was in some ways an anti-climax much like life but on an emotional level for much of the characters it def went out with a bang.

The drama is what makes it such a great show. You can only see so many zombies dispatched in gruesome ways season after season before it loses its shock value and becomes boring. The best horror films and shows have always had strong drama and characters at their center; if you don't give a shit about the characters, the violence done towards them and one another is meaningless.

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